New York's MTA launches "Stay Back from the Platform Edge" safety campaign

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority launched a new visual information campaign aimed at reminding subway customers how dangerous it is to stand too close to the tracks. The posters have begun appearing in subway cars this week, rotating through three different themes.

It's a four and a half foot drop from the platform to the tracks and taking that trip can result in severe injury or even death. Last year alone, 146 people were struck by subway trains and 47 of them were killed after either falling to the tracks or descending to the roadbed by choice. Directed by MTA New York City Transit President Thomas Prendergast to raise public awareness of this issue, the Department of Corporate Communications has created a campaign consisting of three separate car cards, drawing customers' attention to the dangers. Standing too close to the platform edge can end in disaster if a person loses their footing, faints or simply feels lightheaded and loses balance.

"Venturing onto the subway tracks is the most dangerous thing a customer can do, so this is an issue that we take extremely seriously. We have created and are posting visible reminders of the hazards of either standing too close to the platform edge, or descending to the tracks to retrieve a dropped item," said Cheryl Kennedy, vice president of system safety for NYC Transit. "It's an important message and we hope that everyone gets it."

The message will be widely disseminated across a wide range of materials and announcement platforms, including car cards, which will

be printed in a colorful, eye-catching design and the message is delivered in five languages, English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Russian.